With the proliferation of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), including acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS), there is an increasing need for effective means to prevent the exchange of bodily fluids during sexual intercourse and the resultant transmission of STDs. One method for accomplishing this goal is by introducing an effective barrier between the male and female sex organs during sexual intercourse. Heretofore, conventional means for creating such barriers have included the use of male condoms, diaphragms, prophylactic gels, creams, and the like.
Additionally, there have been proposals to provide female prophylactic devices that can be worn by a female prior to sex and disposed of following use (i.e., a female version of a condom, generally including a pouch with a closed end that is inserted intravaginally before sexual intercourse and a retention device for securing the pouch in place to prevent withdrawal during use). While such proposals are suitable for their intended purpose, it has been found that they are not totally effective for various reasons.
One reason that the female condoms currently available have not achieved widespread use and acceptance is that they fail to adequately secure themselves in place so as to prevent withdrawal while in use. During sexual intercourse, the outward stroke of the erect penis tends to dislodge the condom pouch and pull it out of the vaginal canal as the result of creating negative pressure between the closed end of the pouch and the tip of the penis. This negative pressure results in the closed end of the condom being drawn out of the vagina during the outward stroke of the penis.
Another reason that now available female condoms are not totally effective is that they fail to provide adequate protection during sexual intercourse in different positions. For example, the length of the vaginal canal changes depending upon the position of the female partner during intercourse—in the prone position (i.e., woman on top), for instance, the vaginal canal length is shorter because the suspended cervix moves anterior, whereas in the supine position (i.e., woman on bottom) the vaginal canal length is longer because the cervix moves to the posterior position. Existing female condoms are not designed to change their length to correspond with the change in length of the vaginal canal during intercourse, thereby causing failures and inconveniences.
A third reason that female condoms now available have not become widely used and accepted is that they do not enhance, and rather they usually diminish, the pleasure attained by each partner during sexual intercourse.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to be able to provide a female condom that is securely retained within the vagina, that is variable in length, and that may also provide stimulation to a sexual organ during sexual intercourse.